the native population. It wasn't only a place of social encounter, but at the same time it offered to the artists the opportunity to communicate with collectors and dealers. – This was very important. Among the founding members of Pulchri has been Lambertus Hardenberg, Willem Roelofs, Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch and Bartholomeus Johannes van Hove. In 1847, Van Hove has been the first chairman of the artists association. Short time later King Willem II. took over the patronage. A short time later Johannes Bosboom, Jozef Israëls, Hendrik Willem Mesdag, Jan Weissenbruch and some lesser-known artists joined Pulchri. Subsequent significant members are also Jan Sluyters, Paul Citroen and Willy Sluiter. Many painters, who are today attributed to the Hague School, had position on the board and made this cooperative to a stronghold: Bosboom was chairman from 1852 to 1853, Israëls from 1875 to 1878, and Mesdag from 1898 to 1907. But even Jacob Maris and Willem Maris, Anton Mauve, Roelofs and Jan Weissenbruch were members of the executive committee. They were responsible for the drawing room, the art considerations or the social meetings. The growing membership forced the organizers to expand and in 1901 it was moved to the building on the Lange Voorhout 15. In 2004, a number of works from Pulchri were stolen, later recovered in 2007. The two rival cooperatives During its turbulent history there were attempts at secession and forming counter companies. None of them would ever attain the importance of Pulchri Studio. But this is an indication that the politics of these cooperatives is not always met with broad approval. One of these countermovements is the Haagse Kunstkring. In 1891 this cooperative was created by the painter Théophile de Bock and the architect Paul du Rieu. Loosely translated, It has remained until now and for its centenary was awarded with the medal of the city of The Hague. In 1884 a smaller Artists' Association – Arti et Industriae was established in The Hague, in order to promote Dutch art craft. It has a pension fund, too. From the beginning it was inclined towards the subject of industry and industrial progress; it has a completely different orientation than the Hague School with her Pulchri Studio, which wanted to immortalize the untouched nature and the genuine life in the country, the podern and on the coast. – Thus it would never attain the significance and charisma of the Pulchri